Brad Pitt reveals the vital F1 tool that he ‘didn’t like that much’ at all

When it came to training to play a Formula 1 driver on the big screen, actor Brad Pitt embraced plenty of the challenges — but there was one key too that the actor wasn’t a fan of.

Much like his character Sonny Hayes, Pitt was skeptical of the simulator, stating that he “didn’t like” it much.

Brad Pitt not a fan of the Formula 1 driver simulator

F1: The Movie hit theaters around the world just over two months ago, landing on streaming platforms in late August.

Telling the story of Sonny Hayes, a retired Formula 1 racer invited back to the sport three decades after sustaining a career-ending crash in order to help former teammate turned APEX GP team owner save his backmarker outfit, F1: The Movie was a certified summer blockbuster netting over $600 million in the global box office.

While many diehard Formula 1 fans didn’t hesitate to pinpoint inaccuracies with the racing and rules, Apple Original Films partnered with F1 itself in producing this movie with an eye to making it as “accurate” as possible.

But when it came to preparation, there was plenty of authentic driver training to be done.

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Pitt and co-star Damson Idris had plenty of opportunities to get familiar with the exercise routines of F1 drivers, as well as chances to drive their modified Formula 2 machines around tracks like Paul Ricard in order to learn what it’s like to compete at speed.

That was critical, because Pitt and Idris were often afforded 10-minute intervals to get out on the track during F1’s official Free Practice sessions, during which time director Joseph Kosinski would capture the action.

That all was fine — but Pitt revealed on the Beyond the Grid podcast that he was not a fan of the virtual simulators.

“You know, the simulators are just like the video game simulators,” Pitt told host Tom Clarkson.

“I didn’t like them that much, but we got spoiled, though, you know what I mean. So I didn’t spend a lot of time in that.”

However, there was one critical event that required simulator training: The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“We had to for Vegas because we weren’t going to get any practice time, and they were putting us out on the track, and we had a 10 minute window, and we’d never been,” Pitt explained.

“It’s late at night, and it’s cold, it’s wet, and this is coming from a tourist man! It’s an adventure.”

Pitt may not have enjoyed the simulator, but that’s perhaps for the best; his character Sonny Hayes is the epitome of the old-school racer, one who prioritizes pre-race track runs and at-home neck exercises as opposed to intensive, sensor-laden training.

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